Sooner Women's BB: Hosts UNLV (8-0) on Saturday @ 2 PM in LNC.

[OUBeliever56A]

The Oklahoma Sooners Women's Basketball team will host UNLV on Saturday at 2 PM in the Annual holiday game complete with the Teddy Bear Toss at halftime. Fans are invited to bring new plush toys for the toss and during halftime, fans can throw their new plush toys onto the court, which will then be given to local children in need. The first 500 fans through the doors will get exclusive Top Daug Ugly Christmas shirts. Plus, there's $2 popcorn, 12 oz beers and 16 oz sodas available at the concession stands for fans to enjoy.

First things first though. I, as one fan, appreciate that UNLV is playing this game. With the unfortunate event on their campus earlier this week, we must all keep in mind that the campus environment has to be somewhat troubled at this time. I appreciate that their team and administration is allowing this game to take place. Godspeed and help to the families that were affected by the events and to the UNLV students, facility and administration that continue to move past the event.

The Sooners (6-2) and Lady Rebels (8-0) are both receiving votes in the AP and Coaches polls and both teams won their respective conference championships last season. The NET Rankings for the two teams is UNLV = #11 and Oklahoma = #51. In both polls the Runnin Rebels are one step above Oklahoma in the votes received.

The UNLV-Oklahoma game can be watched on ESPN+ and listened to on KOKC 1520 AM radio if you cannot be at Lloyd Noble Center.

Here is the Sooners staff writers article about the key matchup for the Sooners on Saturday.

https://soonersports.com/news/2023/12/8 ... n-saturday

The game on Saturday is another stepping stone for the Sooners in the 2023-24 season as they try to reload after the loss of the trio of Maddie Williams, Taylor Robertson and Ana Llanusa in addition to Liz Scott being injured in the preseason this year and out until the 2024-25 season. That has left a gap on th floor for the Sooners.

UNLV looks to have the pieces that can cause problems for the Sooners. The BIG piece for UNLV is Senior Center, Deso-Rae Young (#23 - 6'1"). Young averages 17.4 points a game and pulls down 9.9 rebounds a game in 28+ minutes a game. Oklahoma must find a way to 'control' her effectiveness in the game for a full 40 minutes. Two other players that also are important pieces are two starting guards, Kiara Jackson and Alyssa Durazo-Frescas. Both are 5'7" and are Juniors. They both average 13 points a game and 3+ rebounds a game. These three players score 41 points a game. It is important that the Sooners find a way to slow them down on Saturday. Two other players for UNLV, both forwards, one starter and one bench player could be trouble also. Together they average 14.4 points and 10.8 rebounds. Often when a defense focuses on one player inside, another player benefits. Oklahoma needs strong play from two players on the court the entire game on Saturday

UNLV shoots the ball well from the field at 45.5% with a 38.7% from behind the 3-point line. They shoot 80.9% from the charity stripe. They pull down 42 rebounds a game with 13 offensive boards (30.1%) in that number. They average 26 assists and steals and only 10 turnovers a game. UNLV has defeated every team this season by at least 10 points and in their last game defeated Arizona by 19 points 72-53. They score 83.5 points a game and allows 55.75 points a game. I would guess that they play strong defense as no one has scored 70 points against them.

Oklahoma job in the game is to find a way to handle the 6'1" Young and not end up in foul trouble. I think Vann is going to have to have some help from the trio of bigs that come off the bench for the Sooners. Culliton, Johnson and Allen must help out inside against the three inside players for the Sooners. Williams and Verhulst should be able to handle the other two inside players as needed in the UNLV three-guard attack. I think the Sooners guards (Verhulst, Keys, Tot, Joens and R Scott can handle the UNLV guards. Now, if they OU guards can outscore the UNLV guards, it would help as well.

I wonder if the Sooners might start one of the trio of the post girls and slide Tot to bench to play with Joens and R Scott coming off the bench. This will let Keys play the point with Verhulst on the wing an Williams and Vann inside. The bigger lineup will be tough for UNLV to match up with. A 5'7" UNLV guard has to defend against Williams or Vann.

I do not think this is an 'automatic' win in any way shape or form for the Sooners on Saturday. This game will be likely be a tough game for OU to win. If they can do that, and pick up a win against a team holding an #11 NET ranking it would help themselves greatly for the postseason. The Sooners need to be focused in every way on Saturday.

Good luck to the Sooners on Saturday. It could be a very good momentum as they go to North Carolina next week to play the Tarheels.

Boomer Sooner!

[OUBeliever56A]

The Oklahoma Sooner Women dropped their basketball game to UNLV yesterday afternoon by the score of 76-92. The game was a story of 2 quarters versus 2 other quarters. Ou played "well" in the 1stQ and the 3rdQ as they scored 48 points to the 47 that the Runnin' Rebels scored in those quarters. In the 1stQ they shot well. In the 3rdQ they did not commit a turnover to help their cause. The Sooners outscored UNLV despite giving up 34 points in the paint to the UNLV inside players and guards taking the ball the bucket in those two quarters. The Sooners also shot 7 for 15 from beyond the 3-point line in these two quarters.

The 2ndQ and the 4thQ were different stories for the Sooners however. The Sooners got outscored 45 to 28 in those two quarters. While being outscored 22 to 16 in the paint in those two quarters, the cause of the lopsided score was not so much that. In these two quarters, I would say it was more the 13 turnovers and the poor shooting from downtown as Oklahoma was 2 for 16 from outside the arc.

During the entire game the Sooners had almost no answers to stop Desi-Rae Young as she scored 32 points on 14 of 23 shots and 3 of 4 free throws. The only Sooners that were somewhat effective guarding Young were Sahara Williams and Landry Allen. I like the idea of the Sooners playing girl-to-girl defense but there are two things that the Sooner just do not add to that scheme. The Sooners do not know how or do not choose to help a post defender by collapsing down from the 'outside' or nearest defender to help. I do not think that mor ethanmaybe once or twice did another Sooners drop down to help a post defender. You simply have to choose to do that after the 3rd of 4th time that is is obvious Young is better than your defender. The other thing is that the Sooners do not help a defender over a screen or pick at all. The person guarding the picker, just steps back to help give the Sooner guard get over the screen. Right before the half, this happened with the defender stepping behind the screen and UNLV mailed the outside jumper to score. If the Sooner defender tries to squeeze over the screen, the player with the ball gets a step and goes to th ebucket with very little resistance and usually scores or is fouled. I have watched Llanusa, Tucker, Tot, Keys and other try to win this game for three years and I am convinced it is largely not a winnable effort. The defender guarding the screener, has to step out an try to stop or at least slow down the ball to allow the pickie to get back to her player she is guarding. IMO, OU needs to make some adjustment playing against a post player and in playing against picks.

The other thing that I wish I understood better is, "What is the offensive plan outside of play fast, push the ball and shoot the open three." In the last two years, the Sooners were ortunate to have players like Maddie Williams and Ana Llaunsa who could create shots and score late in the possession clock. I do not know it is that can do that this year. It seems to fall to Skylar Vann at times or maybe Lexi Keys or Aubrey Joens. Both all three of those players need a pass to become a scorer. At times. Reyna Scott can be a scorer especially inside the arc but her mentality is to pass the ball first, second and probably third instead of scoring. Landry Allen, in her few minutes seems to be able to shoot over defenders with reasonable effectiveness but she spends too much time near the ark to post up and ask for the ball inside. Passing to a post player to score is not in the top 2 or 3 options for the offense.

Sahara Williams played well yesterday. She scored, he played defense and scored 15 points. Skylar Vann played pretty well as she scored 26 points (Career high) on 21 shoots including 4 'threes'. The two also worked hard on the boards with 8 and 10 rebounds on the night. The penta-five of Tot, Verhulst, Keys, Scott and Joens were 9 of 30 from the floor and 3 of 18 from beyond the arc. There was just not enough there, there for the Sooners as they scored 22 points. Kiersten Johnson did score 7 points also.

In the 2nd and 4th quarters the Sooners had 8 offensive rebounds, they turned into only 6 points which was only 2 less than the 8 second chance points for the entire game. Between being fouled and scoring immediately, the Sooners could have used more than the 6 points in those two quarters. I do not think that this would have made a difference in the game, but it might have kept the momentum a bit more on OU's side of the court.

At 6-3 for the season, the Sooner have defeated Ole Miss (6-3) and Virginia (7-2) on the road. But the Sooners have dropped games In San Diego to Princeton (6-3) and Tennessee (4-5) and then lost at home yesterday to UNLV (9-0). The collection of 4 wins over Wichita State, Oral Roberts, Alabama State and Grambling is 'fluff' as they won by a combined advantage of 133 points in those 4 wins. There is an ample amount of good in those games but there is also an ample amount of 'not-so-good' in those games.

Here is the Sooner staff writers article about the home loss to UNLV.

https://soonersports.com/news/2023/12/9 ... ls-to-unlv

The Sooners play again in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, NC against North Carolina in nine days on Dec 19th at 9:30 PM CST. North Carolina is 6-3 on the season and is 2 and 3 in their last five games. They beat vermont by 3, Lost to Kansas State by 7, lost to FGC by 1, to South Carolina by 7 and then won against UNC-Greensboro by 15. The Tarheels are lead by a Guard at 5'8" who scores 16 Pts/G, a F/C at 6'1" who scores 11 Pts/G with 8.4 Reb/G and a F/C at 6'3" who scores 10.6 Pts/G.

Good luck to the Sooners in Charlotte. I hope they show up to play and can pick up a valuable win over another credible team.

Boomer Sooner!